Monthly Archive for September, 2017

Fingal County Council is currently undertaking a statutory public consultation on whether to reduce the speed limit to 30kmph in a number of estates in Dublin 15. The following estates are included and if you click on the link, you will be brought to a map of the area covered in each one:

I was delighted to welcome the Green Party to my own home town of Blanchardstown on Friday and Saturday for our two day pre-Dail ‘Think-In’ which took place in the Crowne Plaza at the Blanchardstown Centre. The Party discussed issues like the Housing Crisis, public transport and mental health, along with preparations for the next general election.

Dublin 15 is a microcosm for urban Ireland today. We have 3 of the 10 fastest growing electoral districts in the country, and the Housing Crisis has hit families in this area particularly hard. At our Think-In, we placed particular emphasis on how councils can do more to provide social and affordable housing throughout the country.

We also discussed how population growth in areas like is putting major pressure on services like education and public transport. The new national capital plan that the Government intends to publish must provide the financing for significant public transport investment in Dublin suburbs like Dublin 15.

The Think-In was also an opportunity to plan for the next general election, and also the 2019 Local Elections. Green Party representative from across north and west Dublin met during the event and we worked on plans to increase the number of Green councillors to be elected to Fingal County Council in 2019.

A quick update on the scale of the housing crisis in the Dublin 15 area, and some of the measures Fingal are taking to address it.

This September, there are 265 people in Dublin 15 who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, with 137 of these in emergency accommodation. Our Social Housing List continues to grow, with 4,792 people stating a preference for a home in Dublin 15 (out of a total Fingal Social Housing List of over 10,000).

On a daily basis, myself, other councillors and Fingal staff are dealing with families and individuals left in incredibly precarious situations, due to the failure to provide adequate social and affordable housing and the failure to adequately intervene in the private rental market.

Compared to other local authorities, Fingal is doing better when it comes to the provisions of social housing. 644 units have been delivered since 2015. These come from a range of sources: some are leased through the HAP (Housing Assistance Payment) scheme, some are bought or purchased by the Council. But it is still an inadequate amount compared to the need for social housing in area.

Locally and nationally, myself and the Green Party are continuing to work towards bringing forward practical solutions to the housing crisis. We brought forward a proposed law in the Oireachtas that would put a tax on people who hoard development land. In our Budget submission, we will be proposing extra money for investment in social housing.

The housing crisis will define politics over the next five years. We will work to ensure that the response is based on the needs of families and individuals, not those of land speculators and developers.